


The Fire is Coming

by Diemthedragon



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Almost Zoethian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 02:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5726089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diemthedragon/pseuds/Diemthedragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A terrible incident has Rythian and Zoey on the run</p>
<p>(Inspiration: Run by Daughter)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fire is Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Uh this actually took me like a month to write and I'm actually really sad that it's not longer.

Inside a small motel bathroom,Zoey Proasheck brushed the last of the powder over her nose and set the brush on the pale granite countertop. Examining herself in the mirror, she picks up a bold red lipstick, applying it carefully, the lipstick matched her recently dyed hair perfectly. With a quiet hum, she placed the lipstick back in the bag and began to pack away her make-up. 

The lights in the motel room were off, dim light streaming through the slightly parted curtains was the only thing that kept the room from being impossibly dark, those and the softly glowing eyes of her companion. Violet embers that were once welcoming but they'd become dull now and in the moments he thought she wasn't watching, the mask would crumble and they'd become bottomless pits of ghosts and regret. The ghosts of who, she did not know.

Zoey's pale hand fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on washing the room in soft yellow light. Rythian sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes staring into nothing. Zoey could see the traces of pale green powder around his nose. Zoey said nothing, she never did anymore. Rythian had always had addictions. When they first met, the Enderborn had been addicted to knowledge, of his many addictions, this was the been the safest. His worst addiction had been the blood magic, it'd left scars up his arms and missing posters hanging in towns, their families would never know of the agony they faced, maybe it was for the best, the once technomage thought. The withdrawal from the sanguinmancy had almost destroyed his mind, only with Zoey and Tee had gotten him through it. In the back of her mind, she wondered where her mute friend had gone, why he hadn't come with them.

Soon they had left the motel behind, driving down an empty stretch of highway trees lined the way, occasionally one could catch a glimpse of a family of deer in the tangled underbrush. Zoey sat behind the wheel, Rythian stared with dilated, glassy pupils out of the windshield, he'd donned the enchanted amulet that had been given to him by Kirin Dave before they had left. The magic on it had to be simple, as not to be detected from the natural magic of the world. While wearing the amulet, Rythian's brown hair with it's trademark blonde streak was now jet black and a beard had covered the thick black scars that he used to cover with the scarf that sat, piled on Rythian's lap.

It rained heavily most of the day, making it difficult to see the road through the blurry grey and autumn colors the world had become. But they drove on, the sounds of rain, windshield wipers brushing rapidly over the window and soft country music with random bursts of static floating out of the radio was a soundtrack of their journey. It was calming and Zoey could almost forget that they were running, that would be running for a very long time.

That evening they drove through the rain slicked and shiny streets of a large city. Rythian had taken over driving a few hours back, giving Zoey a chance to examine their surroundings. On the sidewalks people stood in queues or groups waiting for entrance to nightclubs or slipping into brightly lit shops and dark alleyways. Zoey wished to be out there with them, it'd been a long time since she'd talked to anyone besides her companion but he always seemed so distant. In the beginning, when she asked him what happened the day the left, where was Teep and why were they were running, but he'd never answer, would always change topics or just remain silent. They used to hold hands whenever they drove or walked anywhere but now when Zoey tried to take his hand or even brushed against him, he would flinch. It didn't take long for the redhead to learn that the Enderborn was running from her as well as whatever they had left in that city so many miles away.

________________________________________________________________

The rain pattered quietly against the building, leaving the woman drowsy, but she wasn't quite asleep yet. In the bed a few feet from her, her friend tossed and turned, tangled in sheets and nightmares. Occasionally whispered words of "I'm sorry" and "no" came from him. Zoey slipped from between the sheets and tip toed over to Rythian's bed, sitting carefully on the edge, she reached over and ran a hand through his hair "it's okay, we're safe." She murmured, doing her best to soothe him. The mage was sweaty and his chest rose and fell with quick sporadic breathing. The tall woman continued in her efforts to shush him and suddenly his eyes were open, glowing intensely. For a few seconds, his face was terrified until his eyes settled upon Zoey and a breath he had been holding rushed out. "Is everything okay?" The girl asked at a loss for words, Rythian nodded and turned over on to his side, moving away from her touch.

The woman returned to her bed, trying to not be hurt by Rythian's actions. Laying on her back, she stared at the ceiling, a streak of light thrown across it from the all too awake city outside. The room suddenly felt too small, everything too loud. Her breathing, his breathing, her heart beat and if the technomage really listened, she believed that she could hear Rythian's as well. Pushing herself up she went to the balcony door and pushed it open. The cold air seemed to push out the deafening sounds and they blended in with the thick, fluffy snowflakes that were floating down to the streets so many stories below. She closed the door behind her and leaned against the railing, looking out over the city skyline. It was so different from where she'd come friend, a smaller town filled with her friends and a few enemies but she had loved it, it was home and she wanted nothing more than to go back.

Weeks passed and on they ran, every day a new town, every night another hotel and a hundred new faces. Sitting in a road side cafe, Rythian set down the spoon he'd used to stir his coffee and looked at Zoey, "I-I did something very bad, I want to tell you but I can’t yet" he said quietly, Zoey's lips parted to speak but he raised a scarred hand and her mouth closed. "I am so sorry" he murmured softly. The redhead nodded but her mind raced with questions but she pushed them deep down and picked at the limp salad on the table in front of her.

The technomage was pulled from the black inky fingers of a nightmare by the sound of the door blasting off the wall and skidding a few feet into the room. She rolled off the side of the bed away from the door and untangled herself from the sheets before peering over the edge of the mattress. Two silhouette's stood in the sunlight and dust from the now open wall, "Rythian!" one voice snarled, the subject of his anger was standing by the end of Zoey's bed, eyes shining almost as intensely as the sunbeams spilling onto the floor. "Did you really think we wouldn't find you?" the large of the two figures said stepping forward to reveal Duncan, the blond was almost unrecognizable due to the many scars warping his appearance. "It was an accident!" Rythian said, sounding so broken that Zoey felt like wrapping her arms around him but she didn't move from her spot, waiting for the violent tension in the room to dissipate or explode. The other figured stepped into the room, plaster crunching as he moved forward, Sjin was slightly less scarred than his companion but the bandaged that covered his eye showed he was worse for wear."You're going to pay for what you've done to them!" Duncan growled sharply, "Eye for an eye." Sjin chuckled with a bitter smile, reaching for something at his side.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Zoey's light eyes landed on the gun. Pushing herself up and toward Rythian, her right hand closed around the small bag that sat beside her and her pale left hand grabbed Rythian's sleeve while simultaneously turning to shield him, the sound of the gunshot was muted as the world spun around them and every color imaginable burst into Zoey's mind. As quickly as it had happened, the moment was over and they were standing out beside their car. They clambered in just as Sjin and Duncan stepped out of the room, Sjin fired several more bullets as the car roared out of the parking lot. 

Zoey looked back at the hotel through the side mirror, in the back of her mind, she saw the flames of a controlled burning and soon they would reach them, she wondered what new life would spring from the destruction of her and her best friend. They couldn't run forever but they had to try or one day whatever monstrous thing they had done would come for them, wrapping its fingers around them and dragging them back to pay for the consequences.

The technomage had experienced many kinds of pain before and while the pain of the bullet that had lodged into her left shoulder blade was far from the worst pain she had felt, it still left her gasping. Rythian hardly seemed to notice the woman's distress, focused on driving, on escaping, in the back of his mind he did see and he wished for nothing more then to stop and take care of her but he couldn't or they would catch them, and he had to protect her. It was the only thing he could do now.

Hours later on an empty dirt road, Zoey laid in the back seat, clutching an almost empty bottle of whiskey. Having left behind the healing potions, they'd had to make do with what they had and what they could buy at a dusty gas station. Her companion was sitting in the front seat, arms wrapped around his thin torso, he trembled almost violently and his slender, long fingered hands grabbed at his elbows so tightly his knuckles were white. "W-we're a mess aren't we?" Zoey murmured, Rythian let out a dry chuckle but said nothing, she didn't blame him, she didn't feel like talking much either. Dropping her bottle on the floor, the redhead curled up and let silence drift over them.

________________________________________________________________

Zoey pushed open the door to the small plant filled apartment and dropped her rainbow umbrella into the holder. From the silence of the apartment she assumed Rythian was out and pushed the door shut behind her. The red head slipped out of her boots and jacket, putting each in its respective place before padding into the small kitchen, putting on a kettle for tea she took a small watering tin from under the sink and began tending the plants.

After pouring herself a cup of tea she curled up on the couch and stared at the dark screen of the television. It had been a few months since they'd reached the city, a sprawling metropolis that had magic pouring out of every crack and crevice. No one asked many questions even the older woman that had done her best to heal the bullet wound in Zoey's shoulder, but the natural healing process had begun and Zoey was left with a dull ache and a nasty scar. Rolling her shoulders, the technomage stood and stepped over to the radio, turning it on and tuning it until a classic rock channel filled the apartment. 

Rythian returned late looking worn out, Zoey had fallen asleep on the couch, empty chinese take out containers sitting on the table in front of her. As the door closed, she stirred, blue eyes cracking open slightly and looking at figure in the door. "It's late." she says, pushing herself up, wincing as her shoulder protested. "I know, you didn't have to wait for me." Rythian replied , unwrapping the black scarf to drop it onto a hook with his coat. "Yes I did." Zoey mumbled, standing. Rythian sighs "Right, sorry. I'll uh, call next time." he said but he wouldn't and Zoey knew that, she would be left up worrying until she fell asleep or went out looking for him. "I'm going to bed." she said, turning on her heel and entering the small bedroom.

Two single beds shoved up against separate walls with a cabinet barely shoved between them and a large dressed against the opposite wall made up the bedroom. Zoey had done her best to liven up the chipping beige walls and cramped room with colorful furniture and paintings but all the colors were muted and seemed like an attempt to make everything okay, but she was playing pretend. Curling up under the covers, the Technomage faced the wall and listened to the sounds of the rap music blaring in the apartment above them.

Zoey's eyes blinked in the bright light of the sun streaming through the window and stretched, grimacing as her shoulder twinged in pain. Rolling on to her side, she looked at Rythian's bed. A perfectly made bed with dark purple sheets, there was no dent in the pillow, marking another night that the bed had not been slept in. The tall woman got out of bed, not bothering to make it. The shower could be heard as she stepped out of the bedroom, entering the kitchen her eyes landed on the pot of fresh coffee, her favorite mug sitting beside it filled with coffee that was made the exact way she always drank it. Zoey couldn't help but smile a little, sometimes the old Rythian came back to her, the one who taught her magic, took adventures with her and Teep, that whispered stories to her on the nights she couldn't sleep because the nightmares that plagued her after the explosion. At the thought of her old life and her mute best friend, her heart twisted in her chest. Wrapping her cold fingers around the warm, steaming cup she leaned against the counter and stared into space, swimming in memories.

The two slid on coats and shoes before heading out of the tall brick building into the rain. Standing under the umbrella seemed to be the closest they had been in a long time to the red head. They'd taken to wearing disguises one again as they'd recently been contacted by Kirin Dave, who had warned them that Sjin and Duncan had traced them to the city they currently resided in, the magic in the city was strong, overwhelming and they believed that they would be safe for some time but they remained cautious. Zoey sometimes, in her darker moments wondered if they should give up, turn themselves in, surely that it would be easier than running that maybe they could talk it would, work out some kind of punishment but then she understood, she didn't even know what they had done and if it was so horrible that they were running away, maybe it was suicide to go back and try to explain.

________________________________________________________________

Rythian had began to have thoughts similar to his companion's, that maybe he should turn himself in. Zoey had not done anything wrong, yet she was beside him and he knew how selfish it was to make her face the consequences of his actions, incidental or not, they were his problems to face. Duncan and Sjin were angry, he had hurt them, he'd hurt a lot of people with what he'd done and being the makeshift police they had some amount of power. They were also looking at a large payday for his capture from a certain Mob boss that had also been injured in the incident. 

As he followed Zoey through the aisles of a small grocery store, he thought back to the life they'd had before everything had crumbled. It hadn't been easy, a city run by warring gangs. They'd done their best to stay neutral having friends in both gangs made them targets and game pieces. Ridge wanted Rythian's magic despite having his own strong mages and now it seemed he wanted them dead. Lewis wanted them if only so Ridge could not have them. It had been hard sometimes, though when Kirin Dave came to town, Zoey had shown him kindness where others had turned him away due to his strange, electrifying aura. Though Kirin Dave appeared to favor Ridge for reasons unknown, he'd protected Zoey, Rythian and Teep from Ridge’s wrath.

_______________________________________________________________

Teep flipped the lever towards the thick, hairy man wearing a kilt. Ravs pushed the lever back almost absentmindedly as he looked at Rythian, who was quietly sipping a coke though he ached for a drink, he couldn't relapse, he'd promised Zoey. The mage, thought over the things he wanted to teach his apprentice, she'd been focusing on science a lot more and he was doing all he could to accept it, in return every weekend, she'd focus on a lesson he'd decided on. Rythian had even shown Teep a few Thaumcraft basics, like scanning and often the two would venture out when Zoey was busy with something and collect essentia. "Want another coke?" Ravs' voice broke the brown haired man from his trance and he nodded, noticing the grating slurp sound of the empty cup he'd been trying to drink from the last minute or so. Ravs refilled the cup for him and began to sip immediately. The mage had become partial to sugary beverages recently, it seemed to calm his nerves the way drinking had and no one was casting him worried glances, not yet at least, he figured it would only be a matter of time before people were worrying for his health again.

When the two returned home, Zoey was sitting on the kitchen counter happily eating mushroom stew. Rythian shook his head slightly "ready for your lesson?" he asks, tucking a few bottles of soda into the fridge. Polishing off the last of her stew, she dropped the bowl into the sink and nodded. "We're doing stuff with the essentia today right?" the brunette said hopping off the counter. So had become the ritual for the three friends. Despite the underlying tension of living in a city where someone may turn on them any moment, they were happy.  
________________________________________________________________

Rythian's chest ached and his clenched tightly on the handle of the trolley he was pushing. His scars began to itch and he wished to be numb of all the emotions that were crashing down on him. The grief, rage, fear, exhaustion and the love for the girl that walked a few steps ahead of him. He could see in her once bright blue eyes that this life was taking a toll on her. Zoey deserved to go back home and live her life without the weight of an unknown crime resting on her shoulders. Rythian stared at her shoulder, imagining the bullet wound that was just under the layers of clothing. The mage wished her could go back in time and take the bullet that had been meant for him. What would be another scar matter among the many he'd already had?

One day while Zoey read, Rythian asked her about the scar, if it ever hurt, if she thought it was ugly. She'd turned to him with a smile that almost seemed true "It's like a battle scar!, it shows how badass I am! It hurts sometimes but nothing I can't handle. I'm a tough girl, I can handle a simple bullet wound!" but the bullet had been far from simple, an enchanted bullet that would have caused far more damage to the not quite human. For Zoey, all it had left was a gnarled silvery scar and a bad shoulder that would never be properly fixed, no matter what magic was used.

________________________________________________________________

That night, Rythian used the last of his ender dust and walked to the door, he paused putting his hand on the handle, going over the plan in his head. He would go a few miles west, to a bar that served both humans and magical creatures and use the phone to call Duncan or Sjin, he would have a drink while he waited for them, then go willingly, he was tired of being a coward and he would walk chin high right into whatever they had planned for him.

The mage had only gotten outside when he heard his name being called. Turning around, he saw Zoey standing on the steps, eyes shining with tears that were threatening to spill over on to pale cheeks. "I-I'm just going out." he said, turning around to face her. She shook her head "You're not wearing your amulet. You're turning yourself in." she said down on to the sidewalk. Rythian wanted to tell her wasn't but there was no pointing in lying. She still knew him almost better than he knew himself, he opened his mouth to say something but she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "Please don't leave me alone." she begged, clinging to him with all her might. Rythian wrapped his arms around her "let's go back inside." he said softly. "We'll talk about it.”

As they sat in silence on opposite ends of the couch, both waiting for the other to say something. Zoey stared at the dark green wall in silence. The redhead hadn't known why'd she woken up until she heard the front door click shut almost inaudibly, fear clenched her heart and she hurried after him. As the woman hurried down the steps, she yelled at herself in the back of her mind. The emptiness that claimed her chest just from the thought of being separated from Rythian was crushing. If this was how he'd felt when she left, she didn't blame him for the things he did to escape it.

"I-I don't want to be alone." she finally said, Rythian looked at her and in the violet of his eyes, she could she every broken piece of him. "I don't want you to leave, I want you to stay." she says reaching over and grabbing his sleeve. "I don't care if we have to run until we're old and grey. I just can't be alone anymore." she said, not realizing that she had began to cry. Rythian shook his head and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "You won't be alone, Zoey, you've done nothing wrong, you can go home." he said softly. "Why can't you come home? What happened?" she whispered, Rythian wanted to shake his head but she deserved answers.

Rythian stared at his hands while he told the story of what happened in the hours before they had left. The tan skinned man felt like her eyes were stripping his flesh from his bones slowly and the sobs that were muffled by her hand felt like acid in his veins. "I am so sorry." he whispered, when he reached out to touch her, she began to sob harder, thin hand falling her her side. "Go home, they'll know you had nothing to do with it." he whispered and pressed a bittersweet kiss to her forehead. "I will miss you so much, when I needed someone you came along, you were the best thing I could have ever asked for. I love you, Zoeya Proasheck" he whispered. Zoey tipped her head up and pulled down his scarf, pressing their lips together in a kiss that was drowning in melancholy and salty tears. "I love you Rythian Enderborn." she murmured, and she did but not in the way she suspected he loved her, but she was choking on smoke and the kiss had been like oxygen.

The ex-apprentice sat like stone for hours, soon the sun poured into the room, it seemed like a sad attempt to brighten everything and she hated the world for everything in it. She hated the sunlight, the green plants scattered about the room, the mushrooms, herself, Rythian, everyone back home and she hated that death was so real, that it had touched her life again and now Rythian was going to pay for what he'd done by facing death himself and this time, her teacher would not win.

The door opening and slamming against the wall, it seemed to break the pause that had fallen over the apartment. Nilesy stood in the doorway, Hannah standing in the hall, peeking over his shoulder. The Scotsman moved to embrace the redhead who let herself collapse in his arms. The fire had come and consumed everything Zoey had known, leaving the world black and unfamiliar. She choked on sobs like they were ashes and smoke but there was no oxygen in sight and now she had learn to breath in a world of dying embers.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I've decided to write a few more parts to the story. What happened to Zoey afterward, What happens to Rythian, What Rythian did to make them run which may be coupled with what happens to him afterward, I'm not sure yet. And something else that hasn't really been revealed yet.


End file.
